Carl Zeiss is one of those almost mythical lens makers. Focusing on quality, its lenses almost always rely on complex optical formulas. Their price reflects this involvement in quality, and logically Zeiss lenses are on the same shelves as the very high-end Canon or Nikon models. We have tested 14 of them so far, ranging from the ultra-wide-angle Distagon T18mm f/3.5 to the much heavier Makro Planar T100mm f/2.

The study of this group of 14 Zeiss lenses is interesting in many aspects. One of the questions arising after such an analysis is more than obvious: is high-end always the best choice?Zeiss is an interesting case since the company only produces high-end, expensive lenses. This positioning is completely justified by a superb build quality.

The EOS 600D looks much like the EOS 550D, which, however, it does not replace. Both bodies will remain in Canon’s lineup. The 600D utilizes most of the 550D’s hardware features, including its 18-megapixel sensor; it adds an articulated screen, along with the “beginners” functions and creative filters first seen on the EOS 60D.

Since the launch of the DxOMark website, many debates have arisen about ISO sensitivity: Some manufacturers were accused of cheating, the ISO sensitivity measured by DxOMark was claimed to be meaningless for photographers. The DxOMark team would like to clarify certain points.

Six month after we started image quality data for lenses, we now have 105 lenses being measured on DxOMark. Each lens being evaluated for many compatible cameras that is more than 1,000 camera/lens combinaisons available!

Our last DxOMark update of the year 2010 is a joint lens review prepared with Focus Numérique, a French website specializing in photography news, lens and camera reviews, and training. The review provides in-depth benchmarks for some 50mm prime lenses — of great interest to any photographer!